Almond growers get funding for water efficiency ByDennis Pollock
pollinator habitat; $20million for conser- vation planning; $5 million for water use efficiency assistance; $2 million for the BeeSafe Program; and $2million for small farms andunderserved communities. Federal aidthroughtheU.S.Department of Agriculturewill come from$5billion for Build Back Better funds to help climate resilience and mitigation, $11 billion for pandemic assistance for producers and $21.7millioninassistance fromtheNatural Resources ConservationService. Carlos Suarez, state conservationist with NRCS, said California is one of four states where a pilot program has been launched. The others are Arizona, Oregon and Colorado. California received more than half the $41.7 million in funding for the program at $22.8 million. It provides funding for the next five years. RaeAnn Dubay, assistant state con- servationist, said assistance comes from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP, and Conservation IncentiveContracts. Thenewprogramwasauthorizedunder the 2018 FarmBill. The fiscal year 2021 fo- cuswas ondrought resiliencyandclimate. The program is to be expanded nationally next year. The pilot is a “stepping stone for pro- ducers from EQIP to (the Conservation Stewardship Program),” Dubay said. It al- lows producers to implement elements of
CSPonasmallerscale. Itprovidesaddition- al stewardshipopportunities for producers based on priority resource concerns in a high-priorityarea. High-pr ior i ty areas inc lude the Klamath Basin and the San Joaquin Valley. Others include range andpasture- land and forests. Producersareencouragedtocontacttheir NRCS fieldoffice for a complete list of prac- tices covered under the program and en- hancementsthatgobeyondbasicpractices. Contracts can include enhancements only or enhancements and practices, but must includeat least oneenhancement. There is a payment limitation of $450,000 for EQIP and $200,000withCSP. Geetika Joshi, senior environmental scientist with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, talked about the state’s Healthy Soils Program, which pro- videsupto$100,000 for implementationof conservationmanagement that improves soil health, sequesters carbonandreduces greenhouse gas emissions. The program offers demonstration projects that showcaseCalifornia farmers and ranchers implementing conserva- tion practices. Practices that are encouraged for or- chards and vineyards include applica- tion of compost, use of cover crops, filter strips, mulching, planting hedgerows, nutrient management, residue and till-
age management, whole orchard recy- cling and use of windbreaks. There were 11 almond grower projects funded at $315,589 in 2017, 13 funded at $793,665 in2018and107 fundedat $8mil- lion in2020. The2020boost camebecause of an uptick inwhole orchard recycling. Other CDFA programs include the StateWater Efficiency and Enhancement Program, or SWEEP; the Specialty Crop BlockGrantProgram;theFertilizerResearch andEducationProgram; theProactive IPM Solutions Program; and the Biologically IntegratedFarmingSystemsProgram. The SWEEP program has spent $20.5 millionon217almondprojects since2014. There isalsoaproposedPollinatorHabitat Programwith expected funding of some $30million. Ryan Villane, air quality specialist with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, talkedabout financial as- sistance the district is providing to assist with low-dust, nut harvester replacement, replacement of tractors andalternatives to agricultural burning. The district will pay for half the cost of a newharvester, he said, and funding is lim- itedto$150,000perapplication.Applicants may submit asmany as five applications. Applicants are potentially eligible for 75% funding for equipment operated See ALMOND, Page 19
As California’s almond growers scram- ble to cut water use, reduce dust and fos- ter sustainability, they are receiving lots of help in funding frommultiple sources. ThestateofCalifornia isexpectedtopro- vide financial assistance; federal aid also will be available. Sources for that assistancewerepresent- ed at a meeting of the Almond Board of California. It brought together representa- tives of the state and federal governments, an air quality specialist and others. Jesse Roseman, principal analyst for environmental and regulatory affairswith the Almond Board, opened the program with a mention of 2025 goals: improving water use efficiency by 20%, reducing har- vest dust by50%, arrivingat zerowasteand improvedpestmanagement. Roseman saidmany incentivized prac- tices support achievement of those goals, including irrigation and nutrition man- agement improvement, help in purchas- ing low-dust harvesters, whole orchard recycling,matingdisruptionandground- water recharge. Available state funding includes $150 million for alternatives to open agricultur- al burning in the San Joaquin Valley; $70 million for theHealthy Soils Program; $60 million for the StateWater Efficiency and Enhancement Program; $30 million for
ACHIEVEMENT & EXCELLENCE IN AGRICULTURE AWARDS
Applications open!
Recipients win a $4,000 cash prize and the opportunity to represent California at the national contest. APPLICATIONS DUE BY AUGUST 31 Go to yfr.cfbf.com to submit your application today! Excellence in Agriculture Award Recognizes members involved in supporting industries or agribusiness. Achievement Award Recognizes members who are full-time farmers or ranchers who make a living from production agriculture.
16 Ag Alert August 11, 2021
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